Process of generating steam.



H. C. CALDWELL.

PROCESS 0F GENERATING STEAM. APPLICATION man ocT.16. 19H.

Patented July 4, 1916. 2 SHEETS-SHEET l lNvr/vzol @Lw/y( WJTNESSES.-

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H. C. CALDWfLL. PROCESS 0F GENERATING STEAM.

APrucAnou man oc. 16. 1911.

1 ,1 89,427. Patented July 4, 1916.

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` ATTHNEY steam.

UNITED srA'rEs rA'rEN Enron.

HENRY c. CALDWELL, or BUFFALO, NEW YORK, AssIGNoR To J. W. DANIELs, TRUSTEE,

or PHILAnELPHIA, rENNsYLvANrA.

PROCESS 0F GENERATING STEAM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 4, A1916.

Application led October 16, 1911. Serial No. 655,034.

`steam leaves the boiler just as soon as it is generated. A Y

In processes of the prior art, a very large portion of the heat from the coal goes up the chimney of the furnace and another large portion thereof is also lost by radiation.

The general object of my invention has been to provide a process for generating steam which shall economize in fuel, and one which shall utilize as far as possible, all of flle units of heat that are contained in the Another object has been to provide a process in which there shall-be little or no danger of explosion and one in which should the boiler, used in carrying out my process, by any means give way, the result would not beserious as no steam is carried in the boiler beyond that which is being generated but it is conveyed away just as soon as it is generated.

As is well known to those skilled in the art, to secure the best available economy in fuel consumption, the fuel must be burned rapidly and at a high temperature.

'fo-accomplish the above objects and advantages, I provide a process for generating steam in which I use a very smallV heating surfacerwith'a large fire which is supplied with air underpressure. ,In my process'the air is heated to a high temperature before it is forced under the fire and the water is heated before it is converted into Furthermore, my process as carried out bythe device herein shown and described, is automatic in its regulation and may be carried on for a definite length of time, during which it shall require no attention whatever.

I will now describe the preferred method ofcarrying out my process as shown in the accompanying drawings, to which reference isto be had and in which like characters of reference indicate likeparts throughout the several views, of'which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation taken through the center of the preferred form of generator embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken on line A-B of Fig. 1 and shows some fuel in place in the generator. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the generator together with its `accessories and the ynecessary piping connected thereto for carrying out my process.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, l is the steam generator and v5 is the outside casing or water tank thereof, within which are secured two preferablyv diamond shaped casings: an air'casing 6 and a furnace casing 7. These casmgsextend longitudinally from end to end of the Water casing 5V and are secured at the endsA thereto- The furnace casing 7 is somewhat smallerY than the air casing 6 and is disposed Withinsaid air casingV thereby providing an air space 8 surrounding the furnace casing. A compressed air inlet 45 is provided into the air space 8. On the interior ofthe furnace casing and also that portionv of the Water` casing heads which is inclosed by said furnace casing, is proj vided a refractory lining 9. Disposed within the furnace casing and preferably close to the refractory lining 'is a steam generating coil 10 provided with an inlet 11 and an outlet 12. vSecured to the front and rear ends of the water tank-are heads" 13 and 14, each having a jacket 15 and .thus providing Water spaces 16. The front head 13 is provided .with a stoke holeA 17 Vand a coal hopper 18 located preferably at. substantially the center of the furnace casing. ,A cleaning-out hole 19 is also provided ,through which the clinkers and ashes may be removed from the furnace. The headsr13 and 14 are provided with water inlet pipes 11 and 4:2 respec- -tively at the bottom andsuit-able discharge provided with two branches or T connections 23 and 24 and between these branches with a valve 25. The connection between the two Ts 23 and 24 forms simply a by-pass for the gases coming from the fire and by which the water in the tank 5 may be made to circulate and be partially heated. This may becarried out by any suitable means of connection but preferably as shown. As shown the T 24 has extending therefrom an elbow 26 upon which is secured a valve 27. 28 is a return bend which is secured at one end to the valve 27 and which is secured at the other end to an elbow 29. The elbow 29 has a short horizontal pipe 30 extending there from which has at its outer end a T 31 to which is secured an upwardly turned elbow 32 on the horizontal run and a long vertical downwardly extending pipe 33 secured to the branch of said T. Rising vertically from the elbow 32 is a short pipe 34 which has secured at its upper end an elbow 35. Secured to the elbow 35 is a T 36 with its branch turned upwardly which is connected to the branch of the T 23 by means of the piping 37 and 38 and elbow 39. The inner end of the T 36 has preferably secured thereto a downwardly projecting elbow 40. The valves 25 and 27 may be of any suitable construction and are preferably lined with refractory material to protect them from the heat of the escaping gases. These valves are preferably so located as to be beneath the water level in the water tank 5 and are provided preferably with long stems which project through the casing of the water tank, thus making them easily accessible from the outside of the tank.

Referring now to F ig. 3: 4 is the generator; 46 is an-equalizer or expansion tank which is supplied with water under pressure by means of the steam pump 47. The water is drawn by the pump from the water tank of the generator through the piping 48 and 49 and is forced into the equalizer through the pipe 50 and from said equalizer the water is carried to the inlet of the steam coil by means of the pipe 51. A valve 52 is preferably placed in the pipe 51 whereby the supply of water to the generating coil may be shut olf when desired. A water gage 53 is preferably provided on the equalizer to indicate the height of the water in the same. When in operation the upper part of the equalizer is lled with air, thus providing a cushion and means for expansion for the entering water. A safety valve 54 is provided in the upper part of the equalizer. 55 is the water supply valve, the water from the mains being carried to the inlets 41 and 42 of the casing heads by means of suitable piping as shown. 56 is a steam header into which the steam is forced before it is carried off by the steam main 57. This header 56 is connected to the outlet 12 of the steam generating coil by means of the piping 58. In the piping are preferably placed a valve 59, a steam gage 60 and a safety valve 61. Connecting the steam pump 47 with the steam main 57 is a line of steam piping 62 and in the pipe line are placed a valve 63 and a pressure reducing valve 64, whereby theV steam pressure in the steam cylinder of the pump may always be kept constant. Connecting with the compressed air inlet 45 is a line of piping 65 in which is inserted a valve Y Vhen it is desired to carry on my process Y by means of the device herein shown and described, the furnace casing 7 is filled with sufficient coal to last approximately the length of time it is desired to run, the lire lighted and the blast applied to the twyer.

The valve 27 is closed and the valve 25 open at this time. After the ire has become well started the valve 25 is closed and the valve 27 opened. Instead of the hot gases escaping up the vent they are now by-passed and made to pass through the elbow 26, valve 27, return bend 28, elbow 29, pipe 30, T 31, elbow 32, pipe 34, elbow 35, T 36, pipe 37, elbow 39, pipe 3 8 and into the vent 22. As these gases pass through the above mentioned fittings they cause a suction in the pipe 33 which raisesthe cold water in the lower part of the tank and discharges it through the elbow v40 into the top of the tank, thus not only causing a circulation of the water in the tank but also utilizing all of the-heat units in the said hot gases before they go up the vent. The return bend 28 is made high enough so as to preclude the possibility of any water running from the tank A7110 into the furnace. The heat which radiates from the sides of the furnace is made to heat the water in the tank by reason of it being surrounded by said water and the heat which radiates from the ends of the furnace is made to heat the water which enters the heads direct from the mains. pressed air enters the air space 8 and is conducted from there to the twyer by the piping 21. Thus the air is also heated before being blown beneath the lire. As the hot water is forced into the steam generating coil 10 it is immediately generated into steam and carried to the header 56 and into the steam main 57. As the steam pressure in the main decreases or increases from normal, the dampening device will operate the valve 66 to either increase or decrease the amount of air being forcedinto the twyer, as the case may be, thus regulating the heat ofthe The com- Y lire and the resulting steam pressuref It is understood of course that the steam header 56 acts also to take care of any slight fluctuation in the steam pressure as it is generated and thus it, together with the dampening device, keeps the steam pressure in the main 57 constantly. When it is desired to clean out the furnace after it has been running a specified length of time, the twyer 20 being held and connected in a detachable manner, is withdrawn and the ashesv and clinkers removed through the opening 19. Of course if desired, I may extend the cleanout hole 19 lower down, thus making it possible to remove the ashes andclinkers from the furnace without having first t0 withdraw the' twyer 20.

In the drawings which I have just described, I have shown some well known mechanical accessories used in steam engineering, but it is to be understood that the means illustrated constitute only a preferable construction for carrying out the invention herein described, the substantial gist or essence of which is hereinafter pointed out both in the description and in the claim.

From the foregoing it will be evident that the essence of my process consists: in heating the water which is forced into the coil or Copies of this patent may be obtained for boiler by utilizing the heat units which are carried off from the furnace fire and which ordinarily go up the vent and also by utilizing the heat units which would otherwise pass od through radiation; in bringing the heated water in direct contact with the heating surface; in carrying the steam as soon as it is generated away from the coil or boiler and storing it into a header; in heating the air which is forced in beneath the furnace fire by the heat units which ordinarily pass off in radiation.

Having thus described my process, what I claim is:

The process of generating steam, which consists in heating water, contained in a suitable receptacle, by radiation from a suitable source of heat, circulating said water byV suction caused by venting the products of combustion from such source of heat through said water, and then forcing the heated water through a steam coil which surrounds such source of heat.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set ve cents each, by addressing' the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 2D. 0. 

